*) Zelenskyy vows not to retreat from Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has instructed the army to bolster defences in the embattled city of Bakhmut, which has become a symbolic prize in the war with Russia.

Amid Moscow’s three-sided assault to try and finish off Bakhmut’s resistance, Zelenskyy said there was no part of Ukraine that could be abandoned.

The president’s top adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukrainian forces around the city have been grinding down enemy forces and reinforcing their positions.

*) US' downing test missiles will be 'declaration of war': DPRK

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that any move by the United States to shoot down Pyongyang’s test missiles would be a declaration of war.

According to state media KCNA, Kim Yo-Jong blamed a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea for growing tensions.

Kim warned that the North was ready to take quick, overwhelming action against the allies, while also hinting that they could fire more missiles into the Pacific Ocean.

*) Turkish opposition announces presidency candidate

Türkiye’s opposition alliance has named the chairman of the Republican People’s Party as their joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election.

74-year-old politician Kemal Kilicdaroglu will represent the six-party bloc in the election which is expected to be held on May 14th.

*) Afghan universities reopen without women

Afghan universities have reopened after a winter break, but only men returned to class, with a ban on women receiving higher education still in force.

The university ban is one of several restrictions on women as the Taliban has effectively squeezed women out of public life since storming back to power in August 2021.

The Taliban has sparked global outrage with its treatment of women and girls, and no country has so far officially recognised them as Afghanistan's legitimate rulers.

*) Neymar to undergo season-ending surgery

French football club Paris Saint-Germain has announced that Brazilian player Neymar will undergo a season-ending surgery on his damaged right ankle.

According to the Qatari-backed club, Neymar will be operated on in the coming days at a hospital in Doha following his latest sprain during a match on February 20.

He will be out for up to four months, and will miss the PSG's Champions League match at Bayern Munich on Wednesday.